It seems flying in an
economy class is no more a big deal for the Bollywood celebrities. After
Hema Malini who played it cool as she flew in an economy class, it was
Deepika Padukone along with the team of ‘Karthik Calling Karthik’ who traveled
in the economy class this Monday from Jaipur to Mumbai. The private jet
in which they were supposed to go could not head for Mumbai due to a cyclone
threat. It was necessary for the team members to reach Mumbai as most of
them had to leave for Dubai for the premiere on Tuesday morning. So, they
had to book themselves into the economy class of a commercial airline.

The team had a gala time
as they spent their night playing cards instead of taking rest even after
a hectic day.

Deepika recalls, “We had
blocked a whole row and instead of sleeping after a super-hectic day we
started playing Mendicot. We forgot we were in a commercial flight. So
we were yelling and screaming in excitement while the rest of the passengers
were trying to sleep.”

Deepika is now hooked
to the game and says, “I can’t stop playing Mendicot. Ritesh and Farhan
introduced me and director Vijay Lalwani to the game. When we took off
on Sunday from Mumbai on our private jet the first thing Farhan and Ritesh
did was to teach us this game. I’ve become addicted.

I loved the whirlwind
promotional tour. For two days I had more fun than I’ve had in my entire
life. Throughout the trip we played Mendicot -not teen patti, please! We
didn’t sleep at all for two days because some of the flight-duration was
less than two hours. So all we did was play Mendicot on flight.”....Back

“I’ve never been afraid
of doing something just because it’s different. In fact, each role that
I have portrayed on screen so far has been in stark contrast from the other,”she
avers.

For someone who made news
right from her much-talked about Bollywood launchpad opposite Shah Rukh
Khan (in Om Shanti Om), Deepika continues to make for some good headlines.
Her current offering (Karthik Calling Karthik) too made news much before
it hit the theatres. Movie buffs went full throttle about the unusual pairing
between her and leading man Farhan Akhtar, some to the extent of even romantically
linking the two together. “Who defines what’s usual and unusual? I don’t
see how Farhan and I are any different from the other on-screen jodis in
terms of complimenting each other. If two actors are cast opposite one
another it’s because they suit their particular roles and make a good on-screen
pair. Initially, I was intimidated by Farhan. But then I saw he was so
chilled out and just like the other leading men I’ve worked with —fun and
focused.”

Deepika’s portrayal as
the new age girl in many flicks has endeared her to the audience. Her last
big screen outing, Love Aaj Kal struck BO gold and redefined Bollywood
romance. “I always knew that the movie will have an impact on the audience,”
says Deepika. Speaking on how the film still has an impact on her, Deepika
says, “In real life too, I’m a lot like Meera, I’m always surrounded by
my friends. And I think I see relationships just the way Meera does. See,
when in a romantic relationship everything (else) takes a backseat. In
our lives, there are times when you realise that though you love a certain
person a lot, you can’t live with him. Nothing in life makes sense. Like
me, a lot of young people have been able to relate to all that Meera went
through in LAK quite a bit and may have experienced a lot of those emotions/experiences,”
she confesses.

From playing independent
and outgoing characters, Deepika is now switching gears to period films
and comedy — something she has never done before. “I’m playing Kaplana
Dutta in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Khelenge Jee Jaan Se. It’s a completely different
world and at the same time a very important part of history. It’s a great
responsibility for someone like me and I have to do justice to the character,”
quips the actor.

Sajid Khan’s Houseful
is already creating a buzz (thanks to the sizzling bikini bod that Deepika
flaunts) and she’s excited too. “Comedy is the toughest thing to do. Especially
Sajid’s brand of comedy where you have a tough time enacting a scene because
you just can’t control your laughter,” she says with palpable excitement.

Considering that she’s
been part of many hit films, does she see her paycheque looking better?
“To a large extent, yes. But having said that, I would also like to clarify
that my price never defines the kind of work I do.” And with many Best
Actor (female) nominations coming her way, does she hope to walk away with
an award this year? “Awards are important. They mean recognition and appreciation
of the hard work you’ve done. If I win then well, but if I don’t then I’m
not going to sit and sulk. I’ll be back with better films the following
year,” she ends on a positive note.